Welcome to Sudbury Game and Fish
The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association is actively involved in the conservation, health and welfare of the wildlife and resources in and around the Sudbury Area. We work aggressively to maintain and improve the environment, fish and wildlife in our community through such projects as stocking fish, annual tree planting and helping to re-introduce Elk into Ontario.
Club Members
Club members enjoy a wide range of activities related to the outdoors. We have an 80 acre lakefront property, made available to all Club members that includes a rifle range, archery ranges, nature/hiking trails, campground, wetlands, sauna and clubhouse.
Annual Activities
There are many activities available for club members to participate in such as the family fishing derby, annual fish pond, archery contests, rifle sighting weekends, tree planting, wildlife restoration projects, educational seminars, animal relief programs, lakes restoration and stocking, “becoming an outdoors woman” program, annual conferences and much more!
Meetings
Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month except July and August.
ABOUT OUR CLUB
If YOU are interested in conserving our precious natural resources, or want to find a way to help our animal populations in a concrete day-to-day way that really counts, if you are interested in becoming a responsible hunter or angler, enjoy archery, or just want to quietly appreciate the beauty and solitude available in our great Canadian outdoors, or if you would like introduce your children to an enduring and meaningful part of their Canadian heritage, please come out and see for yourself just how much The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association has to offer YOU!
CLUB PROPERTY
We are fortunate in having a private club property for many of our events and interests. The property is located a short distance south of Sudbury, in a wild and wonderful part of northern Ontario.
We are lucky enough to have our own small lake, many trails, streams, trees, and wildlife that share this area with us. Sightings of deer, waterfowl, bear, moose, elk and numerous small animals are a common occurrence there.From the Southwest bypass, take Long Lake road, turn left on MacFarlane Lake road, the right on Raft Lake Road, then right on Brodil Lake road.
The club house is used events in the summer and the deck for many BBQ’s. The dock can be used for swimming or fishing from. Hiking trails call out for your attention. The archery range is varied and extensive. Hawks nest across the lake and you’d have to go a long way to find a better firing range. We love our property. Can you tell?
In 2010, the sauna was rebuilt thanks to a generous donation from a past member, Henry Frodl. Henry was an avid outdoorsman and dedicated volunteer and life member of the Sudbury Game & Fish club.
Henry Frodl bequeathed a sum of money to the Sudbury Game & Fish club to be used on the property. Henry was the club’s property chair for many years and he worked countless hours there cleaning, clearing & repairing buildings and camp sites. He derived a great deal of pleasure from this work and being a typical European immigrant, he took great pride in his accomplishments. The club executive decided to use the money willed to the club for the refurbishing of the sauna. It was always Henry’s wish to repair and get the sauna back into use for the members. So it is that Mike, Esko, & Simo worked to see Henry’s dream fulfilled. A plaque was made to commemorate this achievement in Henry’s memory.
CLUB HISTORY
The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association was founded at 8 o’clock on the evening of February 9th, 1916, only four years after the Sudbury Trout Club had been formed. That meeting saw the Reverend Father Crawley elected as the club’s first President. When looking back over the minutes of those first meetings it is interesting to note that many of the problems and concerns the club had then are the same concerns the club has now. Ways to assist game wardens in operating a fish hatchery, conservation issues and safety were very much in the minds of the members of this new club and still are today.
In 1928 the Sudbury Game and Fish Club sent Col. Hoffman Smith to Toronto to represent the Club in assisting the formation of the Ontario Federation of Anglers, which is now known as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Inc. Over the years the Sudbury Club has supplied the Ontario Federation with Presidents and Directors and has hosted the annual convention as well. On a more personal note the Club found itself a long awaited home in 1972. They purchased a piece of land located six miles from downtown Sudbury. Buying this land seems to have lent an air of excitement to club members who formed 12 committees in the first year who were deeply involved in conservation projects! The Ministry of Transport contacted the Club to participate in feasibility studies on major road construction and fish patrols were set up in conjunction with the Ministry’s local office to patrol spawning beds and protect them from poachers. A Junior Club was organised. One member was chosen to sit on a technical tree-planting committee for the region and a long term reforestation project was put in motion. The property was used as a home base for conservation projects that could be launched to affect the thousands of acres of crown land surrounding it. The old farm house on the property was remodelled to be used as a club house for it’s main objective, reclamation.Throughout the Sudbury Club’s history they have continued their work in such areas as stocking speckled trout, building duck nests, and planting duck food areas in association with Laurentian University, reclamation projects to improve area lakes (such as Mud Lake, Lake Laurentian and Ramsey Lake), tree planting and financing the publication of an anti-pollution book (that was distributed throughout Canada). Their efforts have seen some wonderful results, such as the four fold increase in duck population during the first year of their work with nests and feeding areas. Mud Lake has been developed into one of the more productive Speckle and Rainbow Trout lakes in the area. Helping to get the Nickel District Conservation Authority off and running. And today they are involved in the Ontario Government’s Elk Restoration Project. And they have been noticed! The pollution book called “The Choice” was requested by a number of European universities! As far back as 1958 the Club became the first in Northern Ontario to win the coveted Mary Pickford award. This award is presented each year to the club in Ontario with the most impressive record of work in conservation.
The Sudbury Game and Fish Club celebrated 100th year in 2016. During those years many dedicated honoured members have passed though it’s doors. The dedication and loyalty of these members have formed a solid foundation for this club. It’s ideals and goals will be proudly passed on to their children and their children after them.The Club continues today in these very worthy endeavours and have added many more! Tree planting, lake restoration, the improvement of animal habitats, and restocking are all very much part of the day to day activities of many club members. They also have recently donated a robotic deer to the government to be used in the capture and conviction of poachers. They are often found outside on cold winter days cutting browse for deer herds during difficult winters. They continue to build and place nest boxes throughout the area and during the last couple of years have spent many days working with the Sudbury Elk Restoration Project.
TROUT POND
Every year, during the school March Break, the Sudbury Game & Fish Protective Association hosts the Trout Pond for kids (and adult kids). This is the Club’s main fundraiser. The proceeds from this event are used to maintain the Club property and for various conservation projects in the community.
After the March Break, the pond is taken down and the remaining fish are removed and brought to a holding pond where they are kept temporarily. Some of the fish are retained for a Family Day Fish Fry at the Club property in early summer. The remainder are released into a local lake approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The club has purchased a large tank for transporting live fish. It comes with an aerator to supply oxygen for the fish. The tank is available to local community organizations where there is a need to transport live fish.
When the Annual Fish Pond is over, the leftover fish are stored in holding tanks until the ice comes off the lakes in the spring. The fish are then transported to a local Lake and released.